Ok, Ok, I know that Timeline looks a little bit like a scrap book your grandmother had in her spare bedroom. Filled with family photo's, recipes, and old letters (remember when we use to actually send those things). I also know that it's a little confusing and quite a bit different then the traditional Facebook Profile Lay-out. Many of us are lost trying to figuring out which post came before which video and so on. Not to mention that it has completely confused the Facebook Stalkers who only use the site to look at other people's photo's and videos!
So knowing all of this, why am I so Hyped and pumped that there will be more Timelines taking over Facebook? Let's break it down, from a business perspective.
First of all, we'll all laugh in a year from now (as our eyes have adjusted to viewing only Timeline pages) when we look back at what Facebook use to look like. I firmly believe that much of the resistance to Timeline is simply people resistance to embrace change, but the fact is that change is hard to live with and impossible to live without, we just have to accept it and adjust to it! So knowing this I'm not worried about the scrap book looking design, we'll all get use to it soon enough.
What excites me are two HUGE benefits to Timeline!! the cover image, and the story telling ability.
Let's start with the cover image. People pay big money for a banner image half the size of what Facebook is giving us with this banner image. This is prime real estate to display the products that you sell, your store front, your address and phone number, or a collage of images from your business. Business pages currently have 5 banner images, that are thumbnail size, and you have to constantly be managing your images every time you upload a new photo to your page (seriously, this is a pain in the A$$ if you upload a lot of photo's). Just from a maintenance point this change will be a relief and a major time saver! I love the cover image, it can also be interchangeable, so you can have 5 different ones made, and occasionally change your cover image to keep your page looking fresh!
Now, let's get down to the meat and potatoes, the story telling ability!!
One of the most powerful components to a successful brand is the creation story of the company. How Richard Branson started Virgin Airlines goes a little something like this:
His flight was delayed to mechanical issue with the plane. He was where none of us ever want to be, trapped in a small airport, with no word on how long the flight will be delayed, no alternate flights, no beds, Airport bars are closed, just stuck sitting in those uncomfortable chairs with his feet extended and rested on his carry-on luggage. this is where most of us would have camped and just let the airlines have their dominant way with us. But Richard is different, he is progressive, active, and entrepreneurial! Knowing that he had a long time until the plane would leave, he walked down the hallway, out of the doors and into a completely different section of the Airport. Back in those days many smaller airports had a separate wing for private planes. Richard poked around that hanger, looking for a pilot with a working plane. It didn't take long until he found a pilot with a larger plane designed for chartering flights. he got a price quote, thanked the man, said he would be back, and waked back into the terminal where his co-passengers had been grumbling about. With his entrepreneurial spirit at full strength he made a quick calculation of the number of seats and the price to charter the plane. Next he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote "Private chartered flight" with the price under it. Within 30 minutes he filled the private plane and was airborne!!!!
What an amazing story, and to know that at that moment the concept for Virgin Airlines was born!!!
Just hearing that story brings you closer to the brand of Virgin and how it makes you feel to fly with them. Now imagine if you could not only hear that story, but see images of a young Richard Branson holding up that sign. see status updates of the passengers flying in the plane. See who was tagged in the flight. Then see a video of the plane landing!!
Timeline can bring your businesses creation story to life with Video and photo!! Making it real time and personable!! You could then Chronicle the mishaps, journey, and success of your brand as it grows!!!
Don't think that this is only capable for a big brand like Virgin. Your businesses creation story is important too!! And you have a story, everyone has a story of how their business got created.
Timeline will also be great for the present, and the future. Start to be consistent in adding photo's of major events in your business. Tag customers and add photo's constantly, so your story is being told!!!
this is an amazing opportunity, Jump on board and embrace the change!!!!!
get a free eBook of the 5 Facebook Fan page Secrets, and schedule a free 20 minute Facebook strategy session webinar, and for more Facebook tips and just funny videos check out our page at http://www.facebook.com/jeffandvaden
Vaden Hoffman
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